 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Doubleiis
Date: 2016-06-16 00:17
I'm a freshman just starting marching band this year and I'm not sure if I should use my wood or plastic clarinet. The plastic one I've had since 6th grade and I bought it thinking that it was new but later I realized it was actually a used clarinet :( I got my wood clarinet about 4 months ago and I haven't used the plastic clarinet since. Somehow in these 4 months my plastic clarinet has worn down a bit and now that I'm trying to play it again I found ou that it's MUCH more prone to squeaking in the upper register than my wood clarinet. I know in marching band it's always better to use plastic because the instrument may get damaged but I'm afraid that if I use my plastic one it will squeak suring shows and rehearsals. Do you still think I should use my plastic clarinet? I've been using my wood one for the pre-summer band camp because there's only music, nothing athletic involved.
My wood clarinet is a Buffet E12F (the one with the weird case) and my platic one is a Buffet but I don't know what kind.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-06-16 00:40
Your plastic clarinet has leaking pads. Take it to a repair shop and have them fix the leaks. Then play it in marching band.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-06-16 01:07
If it doesn't get too cold during the season you use it, you should be alright with the wooden axe. You don't want to pump 98 degree air down a horn in 50 degree temperatures and below.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2016-06-16 01:15
You'll need the plastic one once the weather starts to cool down anyway so get it fixed and use that now.
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2016-06-16 01:32
Don't use your nice wooden clarinet for any marching activities, period - even here in relatively temperate SoCal. Get the plastic one serviced.
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Author: Doubleiis
Date: 2016-06-16 01:33
I live in Southern California so cold weather shouldn't be a problem.. I'll try to get it fixed though
Post Edited (2016-06-16 01:34)
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2016-06-16 02:09
It's not just about the weather, although even here that can be an issue at night tournaments later in the season, and during cold foggy mornings. It's also about wear and tear and the many opportunities for accidents to happen. I grew up here, marched here in high school, and teach students that march in several top programs here. I think you'll find that the advice to use your plastic clarinet during marching season is pretty universal.
Plastic clarinets are generally able to withstand the rigors of marching band better than wood ones, not only because of the material of the body but because they are built for the rough handling of beginners, whereas your Buffet is more of a precision machine and should be treated as such.
Anders
Post Edited (2016-06-16 02:15)
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2016-06-16 18:31
It seems unlikely that any individual clarinet player in a marching band will be heard by the intended audience. It is very likely that when the band gets off the field and you start watching the game, that your clarinet could get knocked around.
Easy choice: use the plastic clarinet.
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Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2016-06-17 05:07
Definitely take your plastic instrument to the shop so it's ready for marching season. You don't want to use your wood horn for marching band. Trust me. I don't know what kind of shows your band does or what kind of rehearsal schedule it has, but I can tell you that when you're sweating your tail off in the August sun during a 9 AM-9 PM day of band camp or a Saturday morning before a competition, you need to be focusing on the show, not how gross your hands are. And if it rains during, say, a football game or a parade and your pads fall out, you don't want to be without your instrument for an upcoming concert. It happened to me (luckily I was able to use another instrument extremely similar to mine for district festival). It's unfortunate, like some others have said, that most plastic clarinets don't have the same sound as a good wood clarinet, but unless you're holding up the clarinet section no one's going to hear you anyway. Again, trust me. Last season I screamed over my ~120 member band (with the loudest 12 mellophones you've every heard in your life) with my 5RV and 3.5 V21s and I do hear myself in videos, but even then I highly doubt a nice wood horn would have sounded better by that point.
Jared
Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa, FL
Post Edited (2016-06-17 05:23)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-06-17 05:18
plastic. Not just for the weather, but marching band can result it people bumping into each other, dropped or knocked over instruments in football stadium seating, etc.
Keep your better horn for much more controlled environments, and bring the plastic one for the rest.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2016-06-17 06:17
"It seems unlikely that any individual clarinet player in a marching band will be heard by the intended audience."
When marching band is done well woodwinds now feature prominently in field shows. In fact, in many systems it would hurt your score not to show off some woodwind dazzle.
Here's one of our local bands last season:
https://youtu.be/3ASl85okCaI?t=3m8s
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